First Paragraph
- The persona had used repetition in the poem
Second Paragraph
- The persona used repetition
- To show that the speaker was shocked
- And everyone was trying to comfort him
- Evidence : Stanza 3 line 3 – “shake my hand”
- Stanza 4 line 3 “ held my hand”
Last Paragraph
- Sums up how repetition has helped the persona express the feelings in the poem better
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Question A For The Poem "Mid-Term Break"
In paragraph one, include that there are mainly 3 different types of feelings, namely sadness, embarrassment and regret.
In paragraph two, include that there is a sense of regret as he hardly sees his younger brother and the first time in 6 weeks he saw him, he is already dead and elaborate further on it.
In paragraph three, include that there is a sense of embarassment as " the old man shook hands with him . " and elaborate on it.
In paragraph four, state that the poet is sad as his brother died and " in the porch I met my father crying, he had always taken funerals in his stride ". He saw his farther crying but it was not the case normally showing that it is a sad event and there is a funeral. Upon seeing all these, he feels sad , and also sad as he has lost a brother.
In paragraph five, conclude what we have done for the three paragraphs and sum it into a paragraph as conclusion, and conclude the persona's feelings.
In paragraph two, include that there is a sense of regret as he hardly sees his younger brother and the first time in 6 weeks he saw him, he is already dead and elaborate further on it.
In paragraph three, include that there is a sense of embarassment as " the old man shook hands with him . " and elaborate on it.
In paragraph four, state that the poet is sad as his brother died and " in the porch I met my father crying, he had always taken funerals in his stride ". He saw his farther crying but it was not the case normally showing that it is a sad event and there is a funeral. Upon seeing all these, he feels sad , and also sad as he has lost a brother.
In paragraph five, conclude what we have done for the three paragraphs and sum it into a paragraph as conclusion, and conclude the persona's feelings.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Alphabet Poem
A is for Antarctica, a place penguins reign.
B is for Belles guard, located in Barcelona, Spain.
C is for California’s Great America, a place full of beams.
D is for Dutch Antilles, with islands realizing dreams.
E is for Eiffel Tower, which signifies Paris.
F is for Frank Lloyd’s Studio, famous in Illinois.
G is for Great Wall of China, ancient and long.
H is for Hay Castle, where donkeys are wrong.
I is for Iceland, a place dominated by ice.
J is for Japan, where fresh fish turn into slice.
K is for Kentucky, where chickens are roasted merrily.
L is for Leaning Tower of Pisa, standing firm in Italy.
M is for Monticello, Virginia is where it stood.
N is for Netherlands, where windmills are good.
O is for Olympic Arena, where athletes compete for medals.
P is for Pantheon, a place of horse saddles.
R is for Rustenburg, a place of high altitude.
S is for Shimizu, with prevalence of earthquakes in magnitude.
T is for Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.
U is for United Nations building, situated in the Americas.
B is for Belles guard, located in Barcelona, Spain.
C is for California’s Great America, a place full of beams.
D is for Dutch Antilles, with islands realizing dreams.
E is for Eiffel Tower, which signifies Paris.
F is for Frank Lloyd’s Studio, famous in Illinois.
G is for Great Wall of China, ancient and long.
H is for Hay Castle, where donkeys are wrong.
I is for Iceland, a place dominated by ice.
J is for Japan, where fresh fish turn into slice.
K is for Kentucky, where chickens are roasted merrily.
L is for Leaning Tower of Pisa, standing firm in Italy.
M is for Monticello, Virginia is where it stood.
N is for Netherlands, where windmills are good.
O is for Olympic Arena, where athletes compete for medals.
P is for Pantheon, a place of horse saddles.
R is for Rustenburg, a place of high altitude.
S is for Shimizu, with prevalence of earthquakes in magnitude.
T is for Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.
U is for United Nations building, situated in the Americas.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
My School Days
The hubbub of the pupils' laughter and the shrilly scream of the bell,
they signalled the start of another fun and eventful day in school.
Some pupils conscientiously scribbled down the notes,
while the others snored with teacher droning on.
The heavily anticipated recess bell finally rang,
signalling a brief end to the hectic school life.
A pandemonium began at the canteen, some ran about,
and the others cut queues to purchase mouth-watering food.
Adjacent to the canteen was a huge green field,
some played and perspired, having a whale of their time.
When the dismissal bell screamed repeatedly,
they scrambled down the stairs, glad to embrace freedom.
Oh! How I hope that time can do me a favour and rewind,
my fond memories of primary school days will etch in my mind.
they signalled the start of another fun and eventful day in school.
Some pupils conscientiously scribbled down the notes,
while the others snored with teacher droning on.
The heavily anticipated recess bell finally rang,
signalling a brief end to the hectic school life.
A pandemonium began at the canteen, some ran about,
and the others cut queues to purchase mouth-watering food.
Adjacent to the canteen was a huge green field,
some played and perspired, having a whale of their time.
When the dismissal bell screamed repeatedly,
they scrambled down the stairs, glad to embrace freedom.
Oh! How I hope that time can do me a favour and rewind,
my fond memories of primary school days will etch in my mind.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Figurative Languages In Poem
In the poem 'I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings', examples of personification are 'floats downstream', 'claim the sky', 'the sighing trees' and 'names the sky', examples of metaphors are 'grave of dreams', 'fearful trill of things' and 'bars of rage'. I think the poet used personification to allow the readers to better understand the feelings or actions of the characters in the poem. The poet used metaphors in order to intensify something. For example, 'bars of rage' adds intensity to the word 'rage'. It is something more than a rage.
I like the poem because the poet describes the feelings of a caged bird which longs for freedom very well. She allows the readers to understand the caged bird's feelings. The poet's comprehensive usage of figurative languages make the poem more interesting. A reader can also understand the feelings of the caged bird and the message which the poet conveyed clearly. The figurative languages used in the poem depict the bird's feelings and its desperation to be freed. It makes the reader want to continue reading the poem. The message by the poet is conveyed clearly, allowing the reader can understand the poem easily, and thus leaving a deep impression and a room for thought for the reader.
I like the poem because the poet describes the feelings of a caged bird which longs for freedom very well. She allows the readers to understand the caged bird's feelings. The poet's comprehensive usage of figurative languages make the poem more interesting. A reader can also understand the feelings of the caged bird and the message which the poet conveyed clearly. The figurative languages used in the poem depict the bird's feelings and its desperation to be freed. It makes the reader want to continue reading the poem. The message by the poet is conveyed clearly, allowing the reader can understand the poem easily, and thus leaving a deep impression and a room for thought for the reader.
Favourite Poem (I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou)
A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.
But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.
But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.
But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.
But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Village By The Sea Presentation (Differences Between The de Silvas & Hari's Family)
Characteristics of the de Silvas (functional family)
1) The father was alive, healthy, earning enough money for the family and responsible(breadwinner).
2) The mother was alive, healthy and helping to look after the children.
3) The children was healthy, well looked after and enjoying their childhood days.
4) The children lived in a financially stable and safe family, thus they were not emotionally distressed.
5) The children did not have to take up the roles of surrogate mothers and fathers.
6) A sick member in the family could be cured as the de Silvas could afford consulting doctors.
7) The children hardly faced any hardships and as a result, they might be easily agitated when facing problems.
8) Maids and servants were hired to do household chores.
Characteristics of Hari's family (dysfunctional family)
1) The father was a drunkard, owed debts, not earning money for the family and was irresponsible.
2) The mother was ill, did not help to look after the children and did not do household chores.
3) The children were healthy, but not well looked after and not enjoying their childhood days(except for Bela and Kamal).
4) The children did not live in a financially stable and safe family, thus they were emotionally distressed.
5) The elder children in the family (Hari and Lila) had to take up the role of a surrogate father and mother.
6) A sick member in the family could not be cured as the family could not afford consulting a doctor.
7) The children faced hardships, thus they would not easily become emotionally distressed.
8) The children had to do household chores themselves in place of parents.
9) The elder children were determined.
Is it true that all children in dysfunctional families will succeed as they had faced hardships since young?
Ans: No, as not all children are like Hari and Lila. Some of them may be determined and are willing to take hardships and work hard in order to lead a better life. However, the others may not have that kind of grit and determination to succeed. They may just give up. Hence, I believe that it depends on the children's thinking and the effort that they put in to strive for success.
Why are some children from dysfunctional families able to become famous actors and actresses?
Ans: They had been in dysfunctional families and faced a lot of adversities. This did not hinder them in their progress. Instead, they worked hard to realise their dreams. They had put in more effort than those from functional families as they had to do almost everything themselves. They had also wanted to work hard to improve their living conditions. That is why some children from dysfunctional families can shine on the global stage.
1) The father was alive, healthy, earning enough money for the family and responsible(breadwinner).
2) The mother was alive, healthy and helping to look after the children.
3) The children was healthy, well looked after and enjoying their childhood days.
4) The children lived in a financially stable and safe family, thus they were not emotionally distressed.
5) The children did not have to take up the roles of surrogate mothers and fathers.
6) A sick member in the family could be cured as the de Silvas could afford consulting doctors.
7) The children hardly faced any hardships and as a result, they might be easily agitated when facing problems.
8) Maids and servants were hired to do household chores.
Characteristics of Hari's family (dysfunctional family)
1) The father was a drunkard, owed debts, not earning money for the family and was irresponsible.
2) The mother was ill, did not help to look after the children and did not do household chores.
3) The children were healthy, but not well looked after and not enjoying their childhood days(except for Bela and Kamal).
4) The children did not live in a financially stable and safe family, thus they were emotionally distressed.
5) The elder children in the family (Hari and Lila) had to take up the role of a surrogate father and mother.
6) A sick member in the family could not be cured as the family could not afford consulting a doctor.
7) The children faced hardships, thus they would not easily become emotionally distressed.
8) The children had to do household chores themselves in place of parents.
9) The elder children were determined.
Is it true that all children in dysfunctional families will succeed as they had faced hardships since young?
Ans: No, as not all children are like Hari and Lila. Some of them may be determined and are willing to take hardships and work hard in order to lead a better life. However, the others may not have that kind of grit and determination to succeed. They may just give up. Hence, I believe that it depends on the children's thinking and the effort that they put in to strive for success.
Why are some children from dysfunctional families able to become famous actors and actresses?
Ans: They had been in dysfunctional families and faced a lot of adversities. This did not hinder them in their progress. Instead, they worked hard to realise their dreams. They had put in more effort than those from functional families as they had to do almost everything themselves. They had also wanted to work hard to improve their living conditions. That is why some children from dysfunctional families can shine on the global stage.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Differences Between Rural & Urban Areas (The Village By The Sea)
Characteristics of rural areas
1. The children play 'Lame'. (Pg. 29-Up on the grassy bank where the path came down from their hut, Bela and Kamal were still skipping and playing. They were playing 'Lame'.Bela was hopping on one leg and trying to catch Kamal who was running about on two in a small square marked with pebbles.")
2. The villagers bargain. (Pg. 27-The women became louder and noisier as they fought over the baskets, pushing each other out of the way as they bid for the catch.")
3. The villagers fish for a living. (Pg. 52-The people in Thul went into the sea to launch their boats or catch fish, not to swim and splash like fish or frogs.")
4. There are very few modern technologies. (Pg. 46-'It is going to have a diesel engine and also a refrigerator. A deep-freeze,' he pronounced slowly, more impressed than anyone else by the unfamiliar words.)
5. Some people play and sleep. (Pg. 52-Although they did nothing but play or lie around and rest, everyone else around them was kept very busy.)
6. There are no formal doctors. (Pg. 76-Feeding the cow was a pious act and they were glad to pay a little and perform it. It brought him some money but not enough so he combined this occupation of ushering the sacred cow around the villages with the selling and administering of medicines that he found in the forest and prepared himself.)
7. There are free barnacles. (Pg.21 & 22-He knew they were going down to the rocks to chip at the barnacles - Lila must have told them to collect molluscs for dinner. He would not join them - the exposed rocks along the beach were already crowded with women and girls, all pick-pick-picking at the barnacles with their small sharp koytas to dig out and collect the molluscs in them.)
8. There are few things which can protect against elements (monsoon). (Pg. 198-The ponds and creeks filled, the fields were flooded and slushy, weeds spread rampant and frogs croaked madly through the night. Fires were smoky and the huts were damp and gloomy, the rain beating down on the thatch and leaking on to the mud floors, making everything so wet that it didn't seem possible they would ever be dry again.)
9. There are cheats. (Pg. 30 & 31-Their father thought he would like to go to Goa where the toddy was supposed to be especially fine, and he paid the man fifty rupees as his bus fare. Then, the day before they were to leave, along with several other jobless men from the village, Mr Pinto disappeared.)
10. The villagers are superstitious. (Pg. 78-The man told her to open her mouth and put out her tongue which she did, and on it he dropped some of the ash. 'Eat sister,' he said. 'Holy ash, purified ash. It will purify you within. It will drive away the demons that create the fever. Swallow.')
11. Industrialisation is most likely to be imminent. (Pg. 91-'Yes, yes,' said a man, spitting out bits of tobacco. 'I've had your rice. I've seen your fields. They will soon go. All the land will be bought up, factories will be built on it. Your rice will go.')
12. There is more natural environment. (Pg. 4-Then there were all the birds flying out of the shadowy. soft-needled casuarina trees and the thick jungle of pandanus, singing and calling and whistling louder than at any other time of the day.)
13. There are dilapidated thatched huts. (Pg. 5-The hut should have been re-thatched years ago
- the old palm leaves are dry and tattered and slipping off the beams. The earthen walls were crumbling. The windows gaped, without any shutters. There was no smoke to be seen curling up from under a cooking pot on a fire, as in the other huts in the surrounding groves of coconut and banana.)
14. The villagers are religious. (Pg. 37-The village road leading to the market was lined with houses, some of them of solid brick and white-washed, with bright floral patterns painted on their veranda walls, and others made of mud, with tattered palm leaves for roofs. But large or small, rich or poor, each had a sacred bail plant growing in a pot by the front door.)
15. There is a lack of medical facilities. (Pg. 80-'There's no hospital in the village we could take her to, and no doctor who would come.')
Characteristics of urban areas
1. There is higher crime rate. (Pg. 169-'There are enough bad characters in this city - thugs, murderers, thieves, gamblers, drunkards - why not go after them instead?')
2. There has been urbanisation (changes). (Pg. 210-'Look, even Bombay is not always the same. Fifty years ago there were hills, gardens, beautiful palaces and villas where now you see slums, shops, traffic, crowds. Once I lived in a villa with a garden and roses and fountains - now I live in a pigeon roost over a railway station!'
3. There is a greater variety of goods available. (Pg. 241-Then they were in Alibagh, the big town of the district, with its whitewashed bungalows, its wide roads, markets and shops where you could get mill-made bread, fireworks, anything you wanted.)
4. There is a large income gap between the rich and the poor. (Pg. 187-On the boulevard side of the hill the houses had been large and tall, pink and green and yellow, with names like Sunshine and Seagull, in which rich people lived. On the other side of the hill were shacks of the poor, tumbling downhill into an open drain and a busy road.)
5. There are high-rise buildings. (Pg. 117-As Hari looked up fearfully at the towering buildings, ten and twenty storeys high,)
6. There are formal doctors. (Pg. 192-At the dispensary, a broken building with a tin roof on which the rain drummed loudly, there was a long queue of men, women and children waiting on the veranda and out in the rain for the doctor to see to them.)
7. There is noise pollution. (Pg. 121-Hari strained to listen but the noise of the traffic that was so unfamiliar distracted him. He felt sure the cars and buses were all charging straight at him and if he did not keep a sharp lookout he would be run over.)
8. There is more air pollution than rural areas. (Pg. 121-'As it is, Bombay is heavily industrialized, crowded and polluted. How much more pollution can we stand?')
9. There are more motorised vehicles. (Pg. 117 & 118-and heard only the honking of horns, the grinding of gears and the roar of the great double-decker buses, the taxis and cars.)
10. The poor in urban areas are poorer than the poor in rural areas. (Pg. 186-Jagu was the proprietor of a 'restaurant', the owner of an eating house on a busy street and had plenty of customers, yet his house was in a slum, one of those colonies of shacks made out of rags and flattened tin-cans that are called zopadpattis in Bombay. There were not enough houses or flats in the city for the millions of people who came to work in it and earn a living in it, and since there were not enough, the rents of even the smallest flats were high for people like Jagu.)
11. The conditions of eating houses are unsatisfactory. (Pg. 146-The ceiling was thick with cobwebs that trapped the soot and made a kind of furry blanket over one's head. The floor and the wooden tables were all black, too, since they all got an even share of soot from the open stoves in the back room where the lentils were cooked all day in a huge aluminium pan and the chapatis were rolled by hand and baked.)
12. Processions are allowed. (Pg. 118-Once another procession passed directly in front of theirs and they had to stop and wait till it wound past them.)
13. There are more modern technologies. (Pg. 139-The door was shut on them, the man pressed a button in the wall and the little wooden cell shot upwards with a sickening lurch. Before Hari could get over the shock, it had come to a stop, the door was flung open and the man waved him out.)
14. There is law and order. (Pg. 116-Then the police appeared - the famed Bombay police who,
with a wave of their batons and a blast on their whistles, could bring traffic to a halt or send it up one road and down another, and were capable even of controlling processions and herding marchers through the crowded city such as this one of fishermen from Alibagh.)
15. There are monuments. (Pg. 119-But no, they were being led to a square between large, old, grey office buildings and there, in the centre of the square, was an empty pedestal (Black Horse).)
1. The children play 'Lame'. (Pg. 29-Up on the grassy bank where the path came down from their hut, Bela and Kamal were still skipping and playing. They were playing 'Lame'.Bela was hopping on one leg and trying to catch Kamal who was running about on two in a small square marked with pebbles.")
2. The villagers bargain. (Pg. 27-The women became louder and noisier as they fought over the baskets, pushing each other out of the way as they bid for the catch.")
3. The villagers fish for a living. (Pg. 52-The people in Thul went into the sea to launch their boats or catch fish, not to swim and splash like fish or frogs.")
4. There are very few modern technologies. (Pg. 46-'It is going to have a diesel engine and also a refrigerator. A deep-freeze,' he pronounced slowly, more impressed than anyone else by the unfamiliar words.)
5. Some people play and sleep. (Pg. 52-Although they did nothing but play or lie around and rest, everyone else around them was kept very busy.)
6. There are no formal doctors. (Pg. 76-Feeding the cow was a pious act and they were glad to pay a little and perform it. It brought him some money but not enough so he combined this occupation of ushering the sacred cow around the villages with the selling and administering of medicines that he found in the forest and prepared himself.)
7. There are free barnacles. (Pg.21 & 22-He knew they were going down to the rocks to chip at the barnacles - Lila must have told them to collect molluscs for dinner. He would not join them - the exposed rocks along the beach were already crowded with women and girls, all pick-pick-picking at the barnacles with their small sharp koytas to dig out and collect the molluscs in them.)
8. There are few things which can protect against elements (monsoon). (Pg. 198-The ponds and creeks filled, the fields were flooded and slushy, weeds spread rampant and frogs croaked madly through the night. Fires were smoky and the huts were damp and gloomy, the rain beating down on the thatch and leaking on to the mud floors, making everything so wet that it didn't seem possible they would ever be dry again.)
9. There are cheats. (Pg. 30 & 31-Their father thought he would like to go to Goa where the toddy was supposed to be especially fine, and he paid the man fifty rupees as his bus fare. Then, the day before they were to leave, along with several other jobless men from the village, Mr Pinto disappeared.)
10. The villagers are superstitious. (Pg. 78-The man told her to open her mouth and put out her tongue which she did, and on it he dropped some of the ash. 'Eat sister,' he said. 'Holy ash, purified ash. It will purify you within. It will drive away the demons that create the fever. Swallow.')
11. Industrialisation is most likely to be imminent. (Pg. 91-'Yes, yes,' said a man, spitting out bits of tobacco. 'I've had your rice. I've seen your fields. They will soon go. All the land will be bought up, factories will be built on it. Your rice will go.')
12. There is more natural environment. (Pg. 4-Then there were all the birds flying out of the shadowy. soft-needled casuarina trees and the thick jungle of pandanus, singing and calling and whistling louder than at any other time of the day.)
13. There are dilapidated thatched huts. (Pg. 5-The hut should have been re-thatched years ago
- the old palm leaves are dry and tattered and slipping off the beams. The earthen walls were crumbling. The windows gaped, without any shutters. There was no smoke to be seen curling up from under a cooking pot on a fire, as in the other huts in the surrounding groves of coconut and banana.)
14. The villagers are religious. (Pg. 37-The village road leading to the market was lined with houses, some of them of solid brick and white-washed, with bright floral patterns painted on their veranda walls, and others made of mud, with tattered palm leaves for roofs. But large or small, rich or poor, each had a sacred bail plant growing in a pot by the front door.)
15. There is a lack of medical facilities. (Pg. 80-'There's no hospital in the village we could take her to, and no doctor who would come.')
Characteristics of urban areas
1. There is higher crime rate. (Pg. 169-'There are enough bad characters in this city - thugs, murderers, thieves, gamblers, drunkards - why not go after them instead?')
2. There has been urbanisation (changes). (Pg. 210-'Look, even Bombay is not always the same. Fifty years ago there were hills, gardens, beautiful palaces and villas where now you see slums, shops, traffic, crowds. Once I lived in a villa with a garden and roses and fountains - now I live in a pigeon roost over a railway station!'
3. There is a greater variety of goods available. (Pg. 241-Then they were in Alibagh, the big town of the district, with its whitewashed bungalows, its wide roads, markets and shops where you could get mill-made bread, fireworks, anything you wanted.)
4. There is a large income gap between the rich and the poor. (Pg. 187-On the boulevard side of the hill the houses had been large and tall, pink and green and yellow, with names like Sunshine and Seagull, in which rich people lived. On the other side of the hill were shacks of the poor, tumbling downhill into an open drain and a busy road.)
5. There are high-rise buildings. (Pg. 117-As Hari looked up fearfully at the towering buildings, ten and twenty storeys high,)
6. There are formal doctors. (Pg. 192-At the dispensary, a broken building with a tin roof on which the rain drummed loudly, there was a long queue of men, women and children waiting on the veranda and out in the rain for the doctor to see to them.)
7. There is noise pollution. (Pg. 121-Hari strained to listen but the noise of the traffic that was so unfamiliar distracted him. He felt sure the cars and buses were all charging straight at him and if he did not keep a sharp lookout he would be run over.)
8. There is more air pollution than rural areas. (Pg. 121-'As it is, Bombay is heavily industrialized, crowded and polluted. How much more pollution can we stand?')
9. There are more motorised vehicles. (Pg. 117 & 118-and heard only the honking of horns, the grinding of gears and the roar of the great double-decker buses, the taxis and cars.)
10. The poor in urban areas are poorer than the poor in rural areas. (Pg. 186-Jagu was the proprietor of a 'restaurant', the owner of an eating house on a busy street and had plenty of customers, yet his house was in a slum, one of those colonies of shacks made out of rags and flattened tin-cans that are called zopadpattis in Bombay. There were not enough houses or flats in the city for the millions of people who came to work in it and earn a living in it, and since there were not enough, the rents of even the smallest flats were high for people like Jagu.)
11. The conditions of eating houses are unsatisfactory. (Pg. 146-The ceiling was thick with cobwebs that trapped the soot and made a kind of furry blanket over one's head. The floor and the wooden tables were all black, too, since they all got an even share of soot from the open stoves in the back room where the lentils were cooked all day in a huge aluminium pan and the chapatis were rolled by hand and baked.)
12. Processions are allowed. (Pg. 118-Once another procession passed directly in front of theirs and they had to stop and wait till it wound past them.)
13. There are more modern technologies. (Pg. 139-The door was shut on them, the man pressed a button in the wall and the little wooden cell shot upwards with a sickening lurch. Before Hari could get over the shock, it had come to a stop, the door was flung open and the man waved him out.)
14. There is law and order. (Pg. 116-Then the police appeared - the famed Bombay police who,
with a wave of their batons and a blast on their whistles, could bring traffic to a halt or send it up one road and down another, and were capable even of controlling processions and herding marchers through the crowded city such as this one of fishermen from Alibagh.)
15. There are monuments. (Pg. 119-But no, they were being led to a square between large, old, grey office buildings and there, in the centre of the square, was an empty pedestal (Black Horse).)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A Modern Fairytale
A) Snow White
1) Snow White's biological mother dies and her father remarries. Her stepmother is beautiful, but very vain.
2) When Snow White was sixteen, her stepmother, possessing a magical mirror, asked it who ws the fairest (most beautiful) in the world. Upon realising that Snow White was the fairest in the world, and not herself, she became jealous and ordered a huntsman to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. The huntsman had to bring back the heart of Snow White as a proof.
3) When the huntsman takes Snow White into the forest, but after raising the knife, he is unable to kill her. Instead, he asks Snow White to flee and hide from the Queen. He brings back the heart of a young deer to the Queen whom fails to realise. Snow White discovers a house of seven dwarfs in the forest and befriends them. They allow her to stay with them. The Queen, upon discovering that Snow White is not dead yet, she attempts to poison Snow White thrice. The dwarfs rescue Snow White twice.
4) When Snow White cannot be revived the third time, she is placed in a coffin. However, a prince discovers her and falls in love with her. Then, when the servants are carrying down the coffin, they stumble and the piece of poisoned apple dislodges from Snow White's throat. She regains consciousness and lives happily with the prince ever after.
The Village By The Sea
1) Hari and Lila, the protagonists in the story, had to take up the roles of a surrogate father and surrogate mother respectively as their family was dysfunctional. Their father was a drunkard and their mother was ill. Lila had to stop schooling and stay at home to do household chores. She also had to take care of her younger siblings, Bela and Kamal, while Hari had to find a job.
2) Hari and Lila's father owed the Khanekar brothers debt and it could not be cleared as Hari could not find a job. They would come to the protagonists' hut and threaten them. Their financial situation was also worsening due to Hari's inability to find a job. Lila could not do anything about it. Hari had to go to Bombay to find a job alone.
3) When Hari arrived in Bombay, he met Hira Lal, the watchman of Seabird when he went to look for Mr de Silva, who had gone for a holiday in Thul. Hira Lal pitied Hari and brought him to Jagu, the proprietor of the Sri Krishna Eating House. He not only allowed Hari to work in his restaurant, but also provided him with shelter and paid him wages. Mr Panwallah, a watchmender acquainted with Hari and taught him watchmending skills which Hari could apply in the future. In Thul, the de Silvas, upon knowing Lila's mother's condition, brought her to the hospital in Alibagh. They also paid for the medicine. Besides that, the de Silvas paid Lila and her sisters wages as they helped to clean the 'Mon Repos'.
4) Hari returned to Thul on the eve of Diwali. Hari and Lila's father had reformed and their mother is in the pink of her health. Their family was not dysfunctional anymore and their financial situation had improved.
B. Comprehension questions
B. The part in The Village By The Sea where Hari went to Bombay to find work is ignored in the fairytale pattern as it does not include a part which the protagonist went on a mission. The part in the fairytale pattern where the protagonist receives unexpected help can only be seen on Lila, not Hari. Lila somehow managed to earn some money from Sayyid Ali Sahib who arrived at Mon Repos to watch baya birds during the monsoon season. There was normally no one staying in the Mon Repos during the monsoon season. This provided Lila with another source of income. Next, the part in the book where Hari learnt things in his stay in Bombay is ignored in the fairytale pattern as it does not include a part where the protagonist learnt things from his/her mission. Hari learnt to accept the inevitability of changes and to adapt to them from Mr Panwallah, the watchmender of Ding Dong Watchworks.
C. I agree that The Village By The Sea is an adventure story to a large extent. The adventure story pattern is that the protagonist first went on a mission. In The Village By The Sea, Hari, the protagonist, lived in Thul. His family was a dysfunctional one as his father was a drunkard and his mother was ill. He was frustrated and angry with his father for drinking and his live in Thul, thus he went to Bombay alone to find a job and earn some money for his family.
Then, the protagonist faced some obstacles. In the story The Village By The Sea, when Hari arrived in Bombay, he was unfamiliar with the traffic and hectic lifestyle of the people in Bombay. He could not settle and adapt in a new environment. He did not have any money and acquaintance in Bombay, except the de Silvas. However, even though Hari had their address in Bombay, they had gone for a holiday in Thul. The fact that he did not have any acquaintance in Bombay meant that he could not seek for help and find a job there.
However, many people helped the protagonist. In the story The Village By The Sea, when Hari visited Mr de Silva's residence called Seabird in Bombay and was informed that the de Silvas had gone to Thul for a holiday, Hira Lal, the watchman of Seabird, took pity on him as he was a young boy and brought Hari to his friend and the proprietor of the Sri Krishna Eating House, Jagu. Despite not knowing Hari, Jagu offered him a job in the eating house, provided him with shelter and paid him a rupee a day. In addition, Hari got his meals free. This helped Hari as he could finally save some money to bring back to his family in Thul. While working at the eating house, Hari acquainted with Mr Panwallah, a watchmender working in the store beside the eating house, which is called 'Ding Dong Watchworks'. Mr Panwallah taught Hari watchmending skills, told him to accept the inevitability of changes and to adapt to them. Hari could mend watches in Thul once the factories were built, which could improve his family's financial situation.
Finally, the protagonist successfully completed the mission. In the story The Village By The Sea, Hari, the protagonist, brought money and confidence back to Thul on the eve of Diwali. Upon arrival, he found that his father had reformed and his mother was back to the pink of her health. He was very happy and relieved to see that. From his adventure in Bombay, Hari had learnt to accept the inevitability of changes and adapt to them. He also had plans for the future, for example, building a poultry farm in Thul to rear chickens and sell their eggs to workers which would arrive in Thul later to work in factories.
D. In The Village By The Sea, Hari, the protagonist succeeded because he was determined and brave. Despite of adversities, he did not give up. He did not wait for his father to reform and his mother to get well to earn money for his family. Instead, he came up with solutions to mitigate the problems he faced. He went to Bombay, a place unfamiliar to him, alone. When he arrived at Bombay, he did not know what to do and had no acquaintances. However, he did not give up and thought of solutions. His hardworking attitude and eagerness to learn made him employable, allowing him to earn money for his dysfunctional family. He was also friendly and humble, which allowed him to befriend people.
Lila, the other protagonist, stayed in Thul while Hari left for Bombay. She had to earn a living for her family, which was another burden on her shoulders. However, she did not give up as well. She was optimistic and knew that she could accomplish that. She took care of her mother, but could not afford to bring her to a hospital. Upon knowing her family's situation, Mr de Silva took her mother to a hospital in Alibagh and paid for the expenses. She persevered and helped the de Silvas and Sayyid Ali Sahib.
1) Snow White's biological mother dies and her father remarries. Her stepmother is beautiful, but very vain.
2) When Snow White was sixteen, her stepmother, possessing a magical mirror, asked it who ws the fairest (most beautiful) in the world. Upon realising that Snow White was the fairest in the world, and not herself, she became jealous and ordered a huntsman to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. The huntsman had to bring back the heart of Snow White as a proof.
3) When the huntsman takes Snow White into the forest, but after raising the knife, he is unable to kill her. Instead, he asks Snow White to flee and hide from the Queen. He brings back the heart of a young deer to the Queen whom fails to realise. Snow White discovers a house of seven dwarfs in the forest and befriends them. They allow her to stay with them. The Queen, upon discovering that Snow White is not dead yet, she attempts to poison Snow White thrice. The dwarfs rescue Snow White twice.
4) When Snow White cannot be revived the third time, she is placed in a coffin. However, a prince discovers her and falls in love with her. Then, when the servants are carrying down the coffin, they stumble and the piece of poisoned apple dislodges from Snow White's throat. She regains consciousness and lives happily with the prince ever after.
The Village By The Sea
1) Hari and Lila, the protagonists in the story, had to take up the roles of a surrogate father and surrogate mother respectively as their family was dysfunctional. Their father was a drunkard and their mother was ill. Lila had to stop schooling and stay at home to do household chores. She also had to take care of her younger siblings, Bela and Kamal, while Hari had to find a job.
2) Hari and Lila's father owed the Khanekar brothers debt and it could not be cleared as Hari could not find a job. They would come to the protagonists' hut and threaten them. Their financial situation was also worsening due to Hari's inability to find a job. Lila could not do anything about it. Hari had to go to Bombay to find a job alone.
3) When Hari arrived in Bombay, he met Hira Lal, the watchman of Seabird when he went to look for Mr de Silva, who had gone for a holiday in Thul. Hira Lal pitied Hari and brought him to Jagu, the proprietor of the Sri Krishna Eating House. He not only allowed Hari to work in his restaurant, but also provided him with shelter and paid him wages. Mr Panwallah, a watchmender acquainted with Hari and taught him watchmending skills which Hari could apply in the future. In Thul, the de Silvas, upon knowing Lila's mother's condition, brought her to the hospital in Alibagh. They also paid for the medicine. Besides that, the de Silvas paid Lila and her sisters wages as they helped to clean the 'Mon Repos'.
4) Hari returned to Thul on the eve of Diwali. Hari and Lila's father had reformed and their mother is in the pink of her health. Their family was not dysfunctional anymore and their financial situation had improved.
B. Comprehension questions
B. The part in The Village By The Sea where Hari went to Bombay to find work is ignored in the fairytale pattern as it does not include a part which the protagonist went on a mission. The part in the fairytale pattern where the protagonist receives unexpected help can only be seen on Lila, not Hari. Lila somehow managed to earn some money from Sayyid Ali Sahib who arrived at Mon Repos to watch baya birds during the monsoon season. There was normally no one staying in the Mon Repos during the monsoon season. This provided Lila with another source of income. Next, the part in the book where Hari learnt things in his stay in Bombay is ignored in the fairytale pattern as it does not include a part where the protagonist learnt things from his/her mission. Hari learnt to accept the inevitability of changes and to adapt to them from Mr Panwallah, the watchmender of Ding Dong Watchworks.
C. I agree that The Village By The Sea is an adventure story to a large extent. The adventure story pattern is that the protagonist first went on a mission. In The Village By The Sea, Hari, the protagonist, lived in Thul. His family was a dysfunctional one as his father was a drunkard and his mother was ill. He was frustrated and angry with his father for drinking and his live in Thul, thus he went to Bombay alone to find a job and earn some money for his family.
Then, the protagonist faced some obstacles. In the story The Village By The Sea, when Hari arrived in Bombay, he was unfamiliar with the traffic and hectic lifestyle of the people in Bombay. He could not settle and adapt in a new environment. He did not have any money and acquaintance in Bombay, except the de Silvas. However, even though Hari had their address in Bombay, they had gone for a holiday in Thul. The fact that he did not have any acquaintance in Bombay meant that he could not seek for help and find a job there.
However, many people helped the protagonist. In the story The Village By The Sea, when Hari visited Mr de Silva's residence called Seabird in Bombay and was informed that the de Silvas had gone to Thul for a holiday, Hira Lal, the watchman of Seabird, took pity on him as he was a young boy and brought Hari to his friend and the proprietor of the Sri Krishna Eating House, Jagu. Despite not knowing Hari, Jagu offered him a job in the eating house, provided him with shelter and paid him a rupee a day. In addition, Hari got his meals free. This helped Hari as he could finally save some money to bring back to his family in Thul. While working at the eating house, Hari acquainted with Mr Panwallah, a watchmender working in the store beside the eating house, which is called 'Ding Dong Watchworks'. Mr Panwallah taught Hari watchmending skills, told him to accept the inevitability of changes and to adapt to them. Hari could mend watches in Thul once the factories were built, which could improve his family's financial situation.
Finally, the protagonist successfully completed the mission. In the story The Village By The Sea, Hari, the protagonist, brought money and confidence back to Thul on the eve of Diwali. Upon arrival, he found that his father had reformed and his mother was back to the pink of her health. He was very happy and relieved to see that. From his adventure in Bombay, Hari had learnt to accept the inevitability of changes and adapt to them. He also had plans for the future, for example, building a poultry farm in Thul to rear chickens and sell their eggs to workers which would arrive in Thul later to work in factories.
D. In The Village By The Sea, Hari, the protagonist succeeded because he was determined and brave. Despite of adversities, he did not give up. He did not wait for his father to reform and his mother to get well to earn money for his family. Instead, he came up with solutions to mitigate the problems he faced. He went to Bombay, a place unfamiliar to him, alone. When he arrived at Bombay, he did not know what to do and had no acquaintances. However, he did not give up and thought of solutions. His hardworking attitude and eagerness to learn made him employable, allowing him to earn money for his dysfunctional family. He was also friendly and humble, which allowed him to befriend people.
Lila, the other protagonist, stayed in Thul while Hari left for Bombay. She had to earn a living for her family, which was another burden on her shoulders. However, she did not give up as well. She was optimistic and knew that she could accomplish that. She took care of her mother, but could not afford to bring her to a hospital. Upon knowing her family's situation, Mr de Silva took her mother to a hospital in Alibagh and paid for the expenses. She persevered and helped the de Silvas and Sayyid Ali Sahib.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Reflections On The Amish Lifestyle
Philosophy
The Amish are well-known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt modern convenience. They are also very religious, thus they seek to maintain a certain degree of separation from the rest of the world. Every Amish church membership begins with baptism. It is a prerequisite for marriage, as once one has affiliated with the church, he or she could only marry within the faith. The rules of the church, also called "Ordnung" must be observed by every member. These rules include prohibitions or limitations on the uses of modern technologies and regulations on clothing. Amish churchs also will not perform any type of military service. Those who do not abide by these regulations will be exocommunicated and may also be shunned. This shunning limits social contacts to shame the members into returning to church.
Education
The Amish are exempted from state compulsory attendance beyond the eighth grade due to religious principles, the result of a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Normally, the Amish do not educate their children beyond the eighth grade as they believe that the knowledge that they have acquired till the eighth grade will prepare them for the Amish lifestyle. Almost no Amish go to high schools and colleges. In many communities, the Amish operate their own schools, which are mostly one-room schoolhouses with Amish teachers. These schools provide education in crafts and are eligible for vocational education. They fulfil the nationwide requirement of education through the tenth grade. Very few Amish children go to non-Amish public schools. Some even go to schools that are very far away. In the past, there had been conflicts between the Amish and the outsiders about local schooling. However, most have been resolved, and the Amish are given freedom to educate Amish children.
Work
An Amish family provides each member with a status within the home and within the community. An person is more of a member of a family, rather than an individual. Each member of an Amish family has a position, a responsibility and a job. After ending their formal education upon finishing the eighth grade, the children are trained for their adult tasks. The chores are normally divided by gender. The boys will work with the father in the fields, barn and around the out buildings while the girls work alongside their mother inside the home and garden. Most of the Amish children want to help their parents when they see them working, and be a productive part of the family.
Recreation
Recreation is shared by all members of an Amish family. There are church-outings and family-get-togethers. The Amish can carry out activities during family-get-togethers. Some Amish boys also play sports such as baseball. The Amish children may also raise a barn and make quilts. They carry out the activities with their neighbours to enhance the interaction between them. However, they value simplicity in the activities.
Opinion
In my opinion, the Amish way of life definitely has numerous advantages. Firstly, their restriction on the use of modern technologies has saved the Earth, as they have negative impacts on the environment. For example, the use of cars emit carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide which will gradually destroy the ozone layer. Next, the Amish will not have so much stress as their lifestyles are not as hectic as ours. In the modern society, we rarely have the time to interact with our relatives and friends, whereas the Amish's lifestyle enables them to spend time to socialise with their fellow Amish. The Amish will also have less distractions due to the absence of modern technologies in their lives. Imagine that when an Amish child is doing homework, then the presence of computer distracted him and he eventually succumbed to the temptation!
However, the Amish way of life certainly is not perfect. It has several clear disadvantages as well. The Amish's reluctance to use modern technologies means that they advance slower. People in other parts of the world use modern machinery to do work, but they do it manually. This has certainly reduced their efficiency. It also means that they cannot enjoy the benefits of the advancement in technology. Also, Amish people should not shun members of the church just because they do not follow the regulations. They should given some freedom to choose what they want to do. Shunning is a kind of humiliation for them. I believe that the Amish children do not deserve corporal punishment just because they disobey their parents. They should be counselled, not punished physically. They should be given a chance to turn over a new leaf.
To conclude, I will not lead an Amish lifestyle.
The Amish are well-known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt modern convenience. They are also very religious, thus they seek to maintain a certain degree of separation from the rest of the world. Every Amish church membership begins with baptism. It is a prerequisite for marriage, as once one has affiliated with the church, he or she could only marry within the faith. The rules of the church, also called "Ordnung" must be observed by every member. These rules include prohibitions or limitations on the uses of modern technologies and regulations on clothing. Amish churchs also will not perform any type of military service. Those who do not abide by these regulations will be exocommunicated and may also be shunned. This shunning limits social contacts to shame the members into returning to church.
Education
The Amish are exempted from state compulsory attendance beyond the eighth grade due to religious principles, the result of a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Normally, the Amish do not educate their children beyond the eighth grade as they believe that the knowledge that they have acquired till the eighth grade will prepare them for the Amish lifestyle. Almost no Amish go to high schools and colleges. In many communities, the Amish operate their own schools, which are mostly one-room schoolhouses with Amish teachers. These schools provide education in crafts and are eligible for vocational education. They fulfil the nationwide requirement of education through the tenth grade. Very few Amish children go to non-Amish public schools. Some even go to schools that are very far away. In the past, there had been conflicts between the Amish and the outsiders about local schooling. However, most have been resolved, and the Amish are given freedom to educate Amish children.
Work
An Amish family provides each member with a status within the home and within the community. An person is more of a member of a family, rather than an individual. Each member of an Amish family has a position, a responsibility and a job. After ending their formal education upon finishing the eighth grade, the children are trained for their adult tasks. The chores are normally divided by gender. The boys will work with the father in the fields, barn and around the out buildings while the girls work alongside their mother inside the home and garden. Most of the Amish children want to help their parents when they see them working, and be a productive part of the family.
Recreation
Recreation is shared by all members of an Amish family. There are church-outings and family-get-togethers. The Amish can carry out activities during family-get-togethers. Some Amish boys also play sports such as baseball. The Amish children may also raise a barn and make quilts. They carry out the activities with their neighbours to enhance the interaction between them. However, they value simplicity in the activities.
Opinion
In my opinion, the Amish way of life definitely has numerous advantages. Firstly, their restriction on the use of modern technologies has saved the Earth, as they have negative impacts on the environment. For example, the use of cars emit carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide which will gradually destroy the ozone layer. Next, the Amish will not have so much stress as their lifestyles are not as hectic as ours. In the modern society, we rarely have the time to interact with our relatives and friends, whereas the Amish's lifestyle enables them to spend time to socialise with their fellow Amish. The Amish will also have less distractions due to the absence of modern technologies in their lives. Imagine that when an Amish child is doing homework, then the presence of computer distracted him and he eventually succumbed to the temptation!
However, the Amish way of life certainly is not perfect. It has several clear disadvantages as well. The Amish's reluctance to use modern technologies means that they advance slower. People in other parts of the world use modern machinery to do work, but they do it manually. This has certainly reduced their efficiency. It also means that they cannot enjoy the benefits of the advancement in technology. Also, Amish people should not shun members of the church just because they do not follow the regulations. They should given some freedom to choose what they want to do. Shunning is a kind of humiliation for them. I believe that the Amish children do not deserve corporal punishment just because they disobey their parents. They should be counselled, not punished physically. They should be given a chance to turn over a new leaf.
To conclude, I will not lead an Amish lifestyle.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Resource Room Answers (Therm)
1. Getting wet on a cool day and staying out side can lead to hypothermia.
2. You can get a thermometer that will measure temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius.
3. I have a Thermos full of coffee, piping hot.
4. A thermal blanket is designed to add a warm layer for cold weather, but not be too warm in warm weather.
5. The isothermal showed that it was 32 degrees in Boston, Massachusetts and 30 miles north of Cleveland, Ohio.
6. A thermonuclear bomb does more damage than other kinds of bombs, but is very expensive to make.
7. Spending too much time in the hot sun can cause hyperthermia, which can be fatal.
8. That endothermic reaction got very, very cold.
9. Setting off a thermonuclear bomb is an example of an exothermic reaction because it sends out a lot of heat.
10. In Greenland, geothermal energy from hot springs is used to heat houses.
11. A tree farmer might want to study isothermalogy.
12. That's an interesting rock! A geologist could tell you what it is.
13. The thermostat in my car broke, so it overheated.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
2. You can get a thermometer that will measure temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius.
3. I have a Thermos full of coffee, piping hot.
4. A thermal blanket is designed to add a warm layer for cold weather, but not be too warm in warm weather.
5. The isothermal showed that it was 32 degrees in Boston, Massachusetts and 30 miles north of Cleveland, Ohio.
6. A thermonuclear bomb does more damage than other kinds of bombs, but is very expensive to make.
7. Spending too much time in the hot sun can cause hyperthermia, which can be fatal.
8. That endothermic reaction got very, very cold.
9. Setting off a thermonuclear bomb is an example of an exothermic reaction because it sends out a lot of heat.
10. In Greenland, geothermal energy from hot springs is used to heat houses.
11. A tree farmer might want to study isothermalogy.
12. That's an interesting rock! A geologist could tell you what it is.
13. The thermostat in my car broke, so it overheated.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
Resource Room Answers (Bene)
1. It was good news to find out from the doctor that the strange growth was benign.
2. We always say a special benediction at graduation to wish the best for our graduates.
3. A very kind benefactor donated the money to build a new library.
4. She didn't know it, but she was the main beneficiary in her great-aunt's will.
5. I hope that if any beings from another planet visit here, they are benevolent.
6. The Boy Scouts encourage people to do at least one beneficent thing each day.
7. Going over my notes every day after class has been very beneficial to my grades.
8. One benefit of living in Florida is low heating bills.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
2. We always say a special benediction at graduation to wish the best for our graduates.
3. A very kind benefactor donated the money to build a new library.
4. She didn't know it, but she was the main beneficiary in her great-aunt's will.
5. I hope that if any beings from another planet visit here, they are benevolent.
6. The Boy Scouts encourage people to do at least one beneficent thing each day.
7. Going over my notes every day after class has been very beneficial to my grades.
8. One benefit of living in Florida is low heating bills.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
Resource Room Answers (Patr)
1. Karen's family is a patriarchy -- her dad is really the boss!
2. There is no question about his paternity -- he looks exactly like his dad.
3. In the Salem Witch Trials, it was said that a witch could not recite the paternoster, but some of the people accused of being witches did say the Our Father before they were hanged.
4. There are many true patriots who are loyal to their country and make great sacrifices. Other people are patrioteers who mainly want to make money or get an important job.
5. That family decided to become expatriates when the laws changed and girls weren't allowed to go to school in their country.
6. Because a patron made a large donation, the art museum will have a new building soon.
7. If there is a disagreement among people in that tribe, they go to the patriarch and he decides what to do.
8. The family decided to repatriate because they missed their home country so much.
9. When many people refused to patronize the stores on that street, the store owners lost a lot of money.
10. Harry Potter's parents were dead, and his uncle was definitely not paternal to him, but Professor Dumbledore was.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
2. There is no question about his paternity -- he looks exactly like his dad.
3. In the Salem Witch Trials, it was said that a witch could not recite the paternoster, but some of the people accused of being witches did say the Our Father before they were hanged.
4. There are many true patriots who are loyal to their country and make great sacrifices. Other people are patrioteers who mainly want to make money or get an important job.
5. That family decided to become expatriates when the laws changed and girls weren't allowed to go to school in their country.
6. Because a patron made a large donation, the art museum will have a new building soon.
7. If there is a disagreement among people in that tribe, they go to the patriarch and he decides what to do.
8. The family decided to repatriate because they missed their home country so much.
9. When many people refused to patronize the stores on that street, the store owners lost a lot of money.
10. Harry Potter's parents were dead, and his uncle was definitely not paternal to him, but Professor Dumbledore was.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
Resource Room Answers (Pre)
1. I like to take a preprandial walk to work up my appetite for dinner.
2. I don't like it when the networks preempt my favorite TV shows because of sports.
3. One of the jobs of the meteorologist on the news is to predict tomorrow's weather.
4. Just as a precaution, I always lock the car doors when I am driving.
5. Which of these coats do you prefer to wear tonight?
6. I don't think Mike heard a word I said because he was so preoccupied about his sick sister.
7. We got to the concert at the symphony hall just in time -- we barely sat down before the conductor started the prelude.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
2. I don't like it when the networks preempt my favorite TV shows because of sports.
3. One of the jobs of the meteorologist on the news is to predict tomorrow's weather.
4. Just as a precaution, I always lock the car doors when I am driving.
5. Which of these coats do you prefer to wear tonight?
6. I don't think Mike heard a word I said because he was so preoccupied about his sick sister.
7. We got to the concert at the symphony hall just in time -- we barely sat down before the conductor started the prelude.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
Resource Room Answers (Tele)
1.There will be a video teleconference and people from all over the world will be joining.
2. The army sent the soldier's wife a telegram when he was killed in action.
3. The reporter took a picture of the actress from half a mile away with a telephoto camera.
4. Some people think talking on the telephone while you are driving should be against the law.
5. The robot on Mars uses telemetry to send information about the land and atmosphere to scientists on Earth.
6. When people have known each other for a long time, they can sometimes know what the other is thinking or feeling without a word spoken -- it's like telepathy.
7. We used a telemeter to figure out how far we were from the ground.
8. There is a huge telescope in New Mexico that is used to look at far distant stars.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
2. The army sent the soldier's wife a telegram when he was killed in action.
3. The reporter took a picture of the actress from half a mile away with a telephoto camera.
4. Some people think talking on the telephone while you are driving should be against the law.
5. The robot on Mars uses telemetry to send information about the land and atmosphere to scientists on Earth.
6. When people have known each other for a long time, they can sometimes know what the other is thinking or feeling without a word spoken -- it's like telepathy.
7. We used a telemeter to figure out how far we were from the ground.
8. There is a huge telescope in New Mexico that is used to look at far distant stars.
copyright © 1998-2004 Susan Jones, Resource Room. All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Discussion & Essay Practice - Government
1. There have been issues of a diplomatic row over several decades between China and certain western countries. The major issue of dispute has been focused on Tibetans' rights of freedom, especially in culture and religion. To solve this long-lasting dispute, I think the Chinese government should open the door for dialogue with Dalai Lama, who is seen as the spiritual leader of Tibetans. By doing so, the world will see a channel of communication between the two sides and may intervene less. In addition, a genuine dialogue could also win Tibetans' support and eventually provide a solution to the deadlock.
2. In this modern networked age, the censorship of media has its advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion, certain degree of censorship is necessary to prevent false information about sensitive topics and unhealthy messages to spread widely and cause social unrest. This is particularly important to a big country like China. For example, the recent Urumqi riot was caused by a piece of false information spread through SMS. However, over-censorship could suppress media freedom and cause harm to the media industry, especially the Internet, which is one of the fastest-growing sectors in China
Essay Practice
National identity is the depiction of a country as a whole, encompassing its culture, traditions, language, sovereignty and politics. In the current trend of globalisation, there is a tendency that a country may lose its national identity. In my opinion, governments today should emphasise the value of national identity to a greater extent than ever before. This is because there are potential threats of the stability of a country or a region in the globalisation climate. That is why some countries like China strongly emphasise the value of its national identity. In this context, a country would want to conserve its culture value to avoid segregation of its territory and prevent foreign countries from intervening its government and politics.
2. In this modern networked age, the censorship of media has its advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion, certain degree of censorship is necessary to prevent false information about sensitive topics and unhealthy messages to spread widely and cause social unrest. This is particularly important to a big country like China. For example, the recent Urumqi riot was caused by a piece of false information spread through SMS. However, over-censorship could suppress media freedom and cause harm to the media industry, especially the Internet, which is one of the fastest-growing sectors in China
Essay Practice
National identity is the depiction of a country as a whole, encompassing its culture, traditions, language, sovereignty and politics. In the current trend of globalisation, there is a tendency that a country may lose its national identity. In my opinion, governments today should emphasise the value of national identity to a greater extent than ever before. This is because there are potential threats of the stability of a country or a region in the globalisation climate. That is why some countries like China strongly emphasise the value of its national identity. In this context, a country would want to conserve its culture value to avoid segregation of its territory and prevent foreign countries from intervening its government and politics.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Lamb To The Slaughter (Logical & Mathematical)
Judge's arguments for Mary accused of the murder of Patrick
1)Mary Maloney has a foetus, thus she should be given a lighter sentence.
2)Mary had not plotted the murder of Patrick.
3)Mary lost her senses because of the shocking piece of news that Patrick broke, which was probably a great blow to her.
4)Patrick should not have told Mary that he had an affair, because that was wrong, and he should have known that it would certainly drove Mary into a rage.
5)Mary has been a devoted and kind wife since she married Patrick, yet he had an affair, thus Patrick was in the wrong.
6)When Mary wanted to prepare supper for Patrick, he did not even turn to look at her. Instead, he appeared to be ignorant and oblivious of Mary's good intention.
7)Patrick warned Mary not to kick up a fuss when she realised that Patrick would be leaving her for another woman when she was pregnant.
Judge's arguments against Mary accused of the murder of Patrick
1)Mary lied to the detectives.
2)Mary attempted to use Sam as an alibi to prove that she was not at home when Patrick died.
3)Mary induced the detectives into eating the leg of lamb and destroying the sole evidence.
4)Mary had no idea of how much force it was when raising the leg of lamb high in the air and smashing it down on Patrick's head.
5)In order to act normal and successfully use Sam as an alibi, Mary rehearsed in front of the mirror.
6)Mary was not remorseful.
1)Mary Maloney has a foetus, thus she should be given a lighter sentence.
2)Mary had not plotted the murder of Patrick.
3)Mary lost her senses because of the shocking piece of news that Patrick broke, which was probably a great blow to her.
4)Patrick should not have told Mary that he had an affair, because that was wrong, and he should have known that it would certainly drove Mary into a rage.
5)Mary has been a devoted and kind wife since she married Patrick, yet he had an affair, thus Patrick was in the wrong.
6)When Mary wanted to prepare supper for Patrick, he did not even turn to look at her. Instead, he appeared to be ignorant and oblivious of Mary's good intention.
7)Patrick warned Mary not to kick up a fuss when she realised that Patrick would be leaving her for another woman when she was pregnant.
Judge's arguments against Mary accused of the murder of Patrick
1)Mary lied to the detectives.
2)Mary attempted to use Sam as an alibi to prove that she was not at home when Patrick died.
3)Mary induced the detectives into eating the leg of lamb and destroying the sole evidence.
4)Mary had no idea of how much force it was when raising the leg of lamb high in the air and smashing it down on Patrick's head.
5)In order to act normal and successfully use Sam as an alibi, Mary rehearsed in front of the mirror.
6)Mary was not remorseful.
Movie Review Of Avatar
"Avatar" is a sci-fi movie featuring the intense battle between the humans and the Na'vi tribe, who inhabited a planet called "Pandora". There were 15 clans and 2000 warriors. The humans had discovered some precious and valuable material on the planet and attempted to drive off the native humanoid race out of Pandora. They deployed Marine Jake Sully, a war veteran who was paraplegic to gain information about the Na'vis using an avatar identity. He was being placed into a capsule and a Na'vi controlled by his mind was created. However, when he saw through the evil intentions of Colonel Quaritch, he refused to help and stood by the Na'vi tribe's side. Later, Colonel Quaritch led a fleet of planes and bombed Pandora, killing many members of the Na'vi tribe and destroyed the largest tree in the world. The Na'vi tribe's homeland was destroyed and the Na'vis who survived were determined to seek vengeance. In the control centre, there was internal conflict and some of the people working there switched side and went to help the Na'vi tribe. Led by Jake, the Na'vi tribe defeated Colonel Quaritch's squad and regained their peaceful lives back again. In the process, Colonel Quaritch was shot dead by two arrows while controlling a gigantic robot.
I liked the movie very much as the graphics were simply fantastic and the sceneries on Pandora were breathtaking. The living things in Pandora were also exotic, such as a mushroom-like plant that would shrink when being touched, and this grabs the audience's attention. The movie also illustrated the unity of the Na'vi tribe and their lifestyles. This was the first time that I watched a 3D movie. It was a truly unique experience because when I put on the 3D glasses, some scenes seemed to be happening right in front of my eyes! The movie is the best among all the movies that I have watched so far. I believe that the movie would be etched in my mind perpetually, thus I strongly recommend those who have not watched the movie or enjoyed a 3D movie experience to watch this movie!
10 Questions On Avatar
1. What caused Marine Jake Sully to be paraplegic?
2. Why did Marine Jake Sully have to follow Colonel Quaritch's instructions? Did Colonel Quaritch threaten him?
3. How did the humans know that there was precious and valuable material beneath the surface of Pandora? Was the Na'vi tribe aware of it?
4. Did the humans invent the fighter jets and machines just to invade Pandora?
5. Why did the Na'vi tribe not suspect Jake's intentions before accepting him as a member of the tribe?
6. Why did Jake have to record himself secretly every time he returned?
7. Why were the Na'vi tribe able to shoot with such accuracy?
8. Did the Na'vi tribe knew that an attack on them by the humans was imminent?
9. Why didn't Jake confess that he was deployed by the humans in Na'vi form earlier?
10. Why didn't the Na'vi tribe heal every member who died in the battle, when they claimed that they could heal Jack's severely injured comrade?
I liked the movie very much as the graphics were simply fantastic and the sceneries on Pandora were breathtaking. The living things in Pandora were also exotic, such as a mushroom-like plant that would shrink when being touched, and this grabs the audience's attention. The movie also illustrated the unity of the Na'vi tribe and their lifestyles. This was the first time that I watched a 3D movie. It was a truly unique experience because when I put on the 3D glasses, some scenes seemed to be happening right in front of my eyes! The movie is the best among all the movies that I have watched so far. I believe that the movie would be etched in my mind perpetually, thus I strongly recommend those who have not watched the movie or enjoyed a 3D movie experience to watch this movie!
10 Questions On Avatar
1. What caused Marine Jake Sully to be paraplegic?
2. Why did Marine Jake Sully have to follow Colonel Quaritch's instructions? Did Colonel Quaritch threaten him?
3. How did the humans know that there was precious and valuable material beneath the surface of Pandora? Was the Na'vi tribe aware of it?
4. Did the humans invent the fighter jets and machines just to invade Pandora?
5. Why did the Na'vi tribe not suspect Jake's intentions before accepting him as a member of the tribe?
6. Why did Jake have to record himself secretly every time he returned?
7. Why were the Na'vi tribe able to shoot with such accuracy?
8. Did the Na'vi tribe knew that an attack on them by the humans was imminent?
9. Why didn't Jake confess that he was deployed by the humans in Na'vi form earlier?
10. Why didn't the Na'vi tribe heal every member who died in the battle, when they claimed that they could heal Jack's severely injured comrade?
The Reasons Why I Prefer The Movie To The Book (Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief)
If I were asked to indicate my preference, I would say that I prefer the movie to the book. The movie is basically a much shorter, abridged version of the original story. Due to this, some people may think that the movie lacks the excitement produced in the book, but I do not agree. I was unable to figure out the thrill of some battle scenes in the book, but when I watched the movie, it was much easier for me to visualise them and feel the adrenaline. I also felt that some parts in the book were too descriptive and unnecessary, unlike the movie, which is not only clear and concise, but it also allows the audience to visualise the main points of the original story and truly immerse themselves in it. Some characters in the book have new roles in the movie and this adds to the anticipation of those who read the book but have not watched the movie. This is likely to be a commercialisation strategy because the changes help to attract more audience and boost the box-office.
My Favourite Scene And Why
My favourite scene in the movie was when Percy acquired the lightning bolt. It successfully prevented the war between the Greek gods. Percy Jackson's mother was also released and she could reunite with Percy. Percy's capture of the lightning bolt not only ruined Luke's plan to become the king, but also unveiled him as the lightning thief, thus clearing the misunderstanding that Percy was the lightning thief. It also taught us that we should never judge a book by its cover.
My Favourite Scene And Why
My favourite scene in the movie was when Percy acquired the lightning bolt. It successfully prevented the war between the Greek gods. Percy Jackson's mother was also released and she could reunite with Percy. Percy's capture of the lightning bolt not only ruined Luke's plan to become the king, but also unveiled him as the lightning thief, thus clearing the misunderstanding that Percy was the lightning thief. It also taught us that we should never judge a book by its cover.
10 Differences Between The Book And Movie (Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief)
1. Nancy Bobofit, a girl who Percy Jackson hated a lot, was mentioned in the book but not in the movie. She would tease Percy and pretend to be bullied by him so that he would be punished (often by Mrs. Dodds).
2. Luke called out a scorpion in the book but did not do so in the movie. After Percy Jackson found the lightning bolt and returned it to Zeus, Luke revealed that he had stolen the bolt for Kronos, Zeus' father, then he called out a scorpion which stung and nearly killed Percy.
3. Percy Jackson and his mother’s trip to the beach was mentioned in the book, but not in the movie. In the movie, the part was abridged and Percy Jackson’s mother drove the car, in which Percy and Grover sat, towards Camp Half-Blood straightaway.
4. Percy Jackson played a card game called pinochle in Camp Half-Blood in the book, but not in the movie. Pinochle was one of the greatest games invented by humans and there were card combinations such as Royal Marriage.
5. The three old ladies knitting huge pairs of socks were mentioned in the book, but not in the movie. Percy Jackson could actually hear one of them cut the yarn! Upon knowing that, Grover was worried as the snipping of the yarn meant that someone was about to die, most probably Percy Jackson.
6. Ares fought with Percy in the book but not in the movie. Five police cars appeared and a line of armed officers crouched behind the spectators. Ares got angry and swept his hand, and a wall of red flame rolled across the patrol cars, causing them to explode and the crowd to disperse.
7. Annabeth leaving Camp Half-Blood was mentioned in the book but not in the movie. Before leaving Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth touched Thalia’s pine tree, then allowed herself to be led over the crest and into the mortal world, while she never left the camp in the movie.
8. There was scarce conversation between Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea and Percy Jackson in the movie but there was a lot of conversation between them in the book. In the movie, Percy said that he got the lightning bolt to rescue his mother, not to prevent the war of the gods and merely exchanged handshake with Poseidon. In the book, Percy recognised Poseidon as his father and told him that he would return to visit him.
9. Mrs. Dodds was vaporized in the book but not in the movie. In the book, Percy Jackson swung a sword given to him by Mr. Brunner, his Latin teacher, which was originally a pen, and it (sword) passed through Mrs. Dodds and she was vaporized. In the movie, Mrs. Dodds smashed through the windows and flew out of the gallery.
10. Percy, Grover and Annabeth met a gang of kids in an alley in Los Angeles in the book but not in the movie. There were six of them, and Percy brandished a sword, but the gang leader kept on approaching him, then Percy swung the sword and the blade passed right through his chest.
2. Luke called out a scorpion in the book but did not do so in the movie. After Percy Jackson found the lightning bolt and returned it to Zeus, Luke revealed that he had stolen the bolt for Kronos, Zeus' father, then he called out a scorpion which stung and nearly killed Percy.
3. Percy Jackson and his mother’s trip to the beach was mentioned in the book, but not in the movie. In the movie, the part was abridged and Percy Jackson’s mother drove the car, in which Percy and Grover sat, towards Camp Half-Blood straightaway.
4. Percy Jackson played a card game called pinochle in Camp Half-Blood in the book, but not in the movie. Pinochle was one of the greatest games invented by humans and there were card combinations such as Royal Marriage.
5. The three old ladies knitting huge pairs of socks were mentioned in the book, but not in the movie. Percy Jackson could actually hear one of them cut the yarn! Upon knowing that, Grover was worried as the snipping of the yarn meant that someone was about to die, most probably Percy Jackson.
6. Ares fought with Percy in the book but not in the movie. Five police cars appeared and a line of armed officers crouched behind the spectators. Ares got angry and swept his hand, and a wall of red flame rolled across the patrol cars, causing them to explode and the crowd to disperse.
7. Annabeth leaving Camp Half-Blood was mentioned in the book but not in the movie. Before leaving Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth touched Thalia’s pine tree, then allowed herself to be led over the crest and into the mortal world, while she never left the camp in the movie.
8. There was scarce conversation between Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea and Percy Jackson in the movie but there was a lot of conversation between them in the book. In the movie, Percy said that he got the lightning bolt to rescue his mother, not to prevent the war of the gods and merely exchanged handshake with Poseidon. In the book, Percy recognised Poseidon as his father and told him that he would return to visit him.
9. Mrs. Dodds was vaporized in the book but not in the movie. In the book, Percy Jackson swung a sword given to him by Mr. Brunner, his Latin teacher, which was originally a pen, and it (sword) passed through Mrs. Dodds and she was vaporized. In the movie, Mrs. Dodds smashed through the windows and flew out of the gallery.
10. Percy, Grover and Annabeth met a gang of kids in an alley in Los Angeles in the book but not in the movie. There were six of them, and Percy brandished a sword, but the gang leader kept on approaching him, then Percy swung the sword and the blade passed right through his chest.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
SCAMPER story-The Father & The Teacher
Deep into the night, grey clouds dominated the sky. Then, thunder roared and streaks of lightning flashed across the sky, which was followed by a heavy downpour. The huge beads of raindrops clashed against the rusty window grilles of a dilapidated flat, creating a rhythm. There was a silhouette of a man in the house, which cut a lonely figure. He was Geok Peng's father. As he looked out of the windows, images of Geok Peng rushed through his mind. The more he thought about Geok Peng, the more remorseful he was. How he wished that it had not happened and he had the power to rewind time...
It was an ordinary Saturday night. Tan Geok Peng was revising for her ‘O’ Level examinations which would commence in three months' time. Her father was an alcoholic, a ‘committed’ one. How Geok Peng wished that he were a teetotaller! However, that wish was simply too unrealistic. Worse still, when he arrived home, he would beat up Geok Peng and her mother! Normally, they would end up with plenty of bruises on their bodies. Sometimes, he overturned tables and slammed them onto the floor! Now, the all-familiar footsteps could be heard with increasing clarity.
“Knock knock!” Geok Peng went to open the door.
Geok Peng's father lumbered in and slammed the hapless door shut. He had absolutely no sense of orientation and his face was as red as crimson. He was apparently feeling giddy and he even chanted some vulgarities. He also reeked of alcohol. Immediately, Geok Peng held her breath. Her nightmare was about to begin.
“Geok Peng, bring me a tumbler of beer!” her father hollered so loudly that Geok Peng trembled involuntarily like lead.
“But Pa, you can’t drink anymore!” she advised him.
Immediately, she regretted letting those words out. Then, a stinging sensation on her cheek jolted her out of her trance. She knew that her father had slapped her, but what could she do? Tears welled up in her eyes and trickled down her swollen cheeks as she trudged back to her study, while her malicious father fetched a tumbler of beer for himself and took out a cigarette from his pocket to satisfy his want for a puff.
On Monday, Geok Peng returned to school and handed in a composition on the topic “My Family”. She was extremely poor in English and her highest grade ever was a mere D7! English was certainly going to pull her overall grade down, her English teacher, Mrs. Wee thought. Mrs. Wee had marked thousands of compositions in her career, although she had yet to find a student whose English standard was worse than that of Geok Peng. In her eyes, Geok Peng was a failure, a complete failure. Despite this, Mrs. Wee had never initiated the idea of tutoring Geok Peng. All she did was to pick out all the mistakes which Geok Peng had made, circle and cross them out with red pen and award her a F9. They were trash to her. It was a waste of time marking her compositions, as they would all be of the same standard, nothing to anticipate about. In the composition entitled “My Family”, Geok Peng wrote about her life, but had a myriad of spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. Mrs. Wee could not bear with it any longer. She criticised Geok Peng in front of all her classmates. Her classmates jeered at her and later, her friends evaded her one by one, fearing that they might perform poorly for their 'O' levels. As a result, Geok Peng grew lonelier as days passed. Then, she made a decision.
The next day, Geok Peng committed suicide by jumping down from the 13th floor of her flat. Her parents were devastated upon hearing the terrible news, especially her father. He wept till his eyes were swollen and chided himself for his oblivion of Geok Peng's feelings. He also vowed to stop drinking alcohol and smoking. Her classmates and relatives grieved and sent Geok Peng's family their deepest condolences, but would these things help to bring Geok Peng back? Certainly not. The teacher was still nonchalant after hearing the news, but she suddenly recollected Geok Peng's compositions. What she wrote were actually true! She had placed too much emphasis on finding faults. After scanning through them, Mrs. Wee regretted her actions towards Geok Peng. She also changed the grades of Geok Peng's compositions to at least a B4. It was considered a cause for celebration for Geok Peng. However, Geok Peng would never know that her dreams had come true.
It was an ordinary Saturday night. Tan Geok Peng was revising for her ‘O’ Level examinations which would commence in three months' time. Her father was an alcoholic, a ‘committed’ one. How Geok Peng wished that he were a teetotaller! However, that wish was simply too unrealistic. Worse still, when he arrived home, he would beat up Geok Peng and her mother! Normally, they would end up with plenty of bruises on their bodies. Sometimes, he overturned tables and slammed them onto the floor! Now, the all-familiar footsteps could be heard with increasing clarity.
“Knock knock!” Geok Peng went to open the door.
Geok Peng's father lumbered in and slammed the hapless door shut. He had absolutely no sense of orientation and his face was as red as crimson. He was apparently feeling giddy and he even chanted some vulgarities. He also reeked of alcohol. Immediately, Geok Peng held her breath. Her nightmare was about to begin.
“Geok Peng, bring me a tumbler of beer!” her father hollered so loudly that Geok Peng trembled involuntarily like lead.
“But Pa, you can’t drink anymore!” she advised him.
Immediately, she regretted letting those words out. Then, a stinging sensation on her cheek jolted her out of her trance. She knew that her father had slapped her, but what could she do? Tears welled up in her eyes and trickled down her swollen cheeks as she trudged back to her study, while her malicious father fetched a tumbler of beer for himself and took out a cigarette from his pocket to satisfy his want for a puff.
On Monday, Geok Peng returned to school and handed in a composition on the topic “My Family”. She was extremely poor in English and her highest grade ever was a mere D7! English was certainly going to pull her overall grade down, her English teacher, Mrs. Wee thought. Mrs. Wee had marked thousands of compositions in her career, although she had yet to find a student whose English standard was worse than that of Geok Peng. In her eyes, Geok Peng was a failure, a complete failure. Despite this, Mrs. Wee had never initiated the idea of tutoring Geok Peng. All she did was to pick out all the mistakes which Geok Peng had made, circle and cross them out with red pen and award her a F9. They were trash to her. It was a waste of time marking her compositions, as they would all be of the same standard, nothing to anticipate about. In the composition entitled “My Family”, Geok Peng wrote about her life, but had a myriad of spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. Mrs. Wee could not bear with it any longer. She criticised Geok Peng in front of all her classmates. Her classmates jeered at her and later, her friends evaded her one by one, fearing that they might perform poorly for their 'O' levels. As a result, Geok Peng grew lonelier as days passed. Then, she made a decision.
The next day, Geok Peng committed suicide by jumping down from the 13th floor of her flat. Her parents were devastated upon hearing the terrible news, especially her father. He wept till his eyes were swollen and chided himself for his oblivion of Geok Peng's feelings. He also vowed to stop drinking alcohol and smoking. Her classmates and relatives grieved and sent Geok Peng's family their deepest condolences, but would these things help to bring Geok Peng back? Certainly not. The teacher was still nonchalant after hearing the news, but she suddenly recollected Geok Peng's compositions. What she wrote were actually true! She had placed too much emphasis on finding faults. After scanning through them, Mrs. Wee regretted her actions towards Geok Peng. She also changed the grades of Geok Peng's compositions to at least a B4. It was considered a cause for celebration for Geok Peng. However, Geok Peng would never know that her dreams had come true.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Dangers of Blogging and How We Can Protect Ourselves From Them
In recent years, blogging has become a very popular and trendy way for people to communicate with one another over the Internet and to share their thoughts and opinions about things happening around the world. It is unlikely to find a teenager who does not have a blog. Teenagers can spend several hours blogging a day. However, there are a lot of potential dangers within the seemingly harmless trend.
Some people vent their frustrations about some issues by posting things on their blogs. For teenagers, some of them post nasty comments on their blogs to vent their frustrations about their teachers, parents and peers. If they are found doing so, their schools will carry out disciplinary action against them. They may also be suspended by their schools. Blog users should never post malicious or racist comments on their blogs. They should learn to respect and embrace one another’s religions. They should know that racism is punishable by law.
Another action that blog users are prone to carry out is to post personal information of themselves on their blogs. People with malicious intentions, like pedophiles may make use of these information and cause harm to the person who posted them. Hackers may also take advantage to gain information from the blog and use them for criminal purposes, if the bloggers disclose their personal information such as their telephone numbers, residential addresses, e-mail accounts, credit card information, etc..
When blogging, we should ensure our safety by knowing what we can post on our blogs and what we should refrain from putting. We must never provide personal information on our blogs, post rude or offensive remarks, write nasty comments in order to vent frustrations, etc.. We should also install security software in our computers to prevent hackers from hacking into our computers. While blogging is a platform for people to express their opinions and post comments, we should always pay observance to the dangers of blogging and protect ourselves from those threats. Only when we are responsible bloggers can we have a good blogging experience.
Some people vent their frustrations about some issues by posting things on their blogs. For teenagers, some of them post nasty comments on their blogs to vent their frustrations about their teachers, parents and peers. If they are found doing so, their schools will carry out disciplinary action against them. They may also be suspended by their schools. Blog users should never post malicious or racist comments on their blogs. They should learn to respect and embrace one another’s religions. They should know that racism is punishable by law.
Another action that blog users are prone to carry out is to post personal information of themselves on their blogs. People with malicious intentions, like pedophiles may make use of these information and cause harm to the person who posted them. Hackers may also take advantage to gain information from the blog and use them for criminal purposes, if the bloggers disclose their personal information such as their telephone numbers, residential addresses, e-mail accounts, credit card information, etc..
When blogging, we should ensure our safety by knowing what we can post on our blogs and what we should refrain from putting. We must never provide personal information on our blogs, post rude or offensive remarks, write nasty comments in order to vent frustrations, etc.. We should also install security software in our computers to prevent hackers from hacking into our computers. While blogging is a platform for people to express their opinions and post comments, we should always pay observance to the dangers of blogging and protect ourselves from those threats. Only when we are responsible bloggers can we have a good blogging experience.
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